The Alphas Guard

Chapter 21

"I don't know where to begin, Leila," He took a deep breath; a shaky one, "I thought you were dead,"

My heart twisted.

"Did you look for me?" Finally, I faced his eyes; his beautiful chocolate brown eyes.

He was taken aback by my question, startled by the answer I gave him. I didn't know whether it was because he expected me to jump in his arms and thank him for his training service to me, but I just wasn't having it.

"I- I sent out a group of 4 men to look for you the minute our pack rose, I promise-"

"Is that what I'm worth?" I scoffed, "4 men?"

I was being a brat and I knew that, but I was also hurt.

"You're worth a thousand men, Leila. But- I just," He sighed, "Leila I felt your bond in my heart. It was strong and roaring with life, stronger than any man I could have sent. I knew risking those men would be irrational because I knew you would be able to survive out there," His eyes softened and he swallowed, "you're my daughter for goddess's sake. My daughter,"

My lips wavered as I tried my hardest to hold my tears.

"At time I would feel your bond slip, and that's when I sent hundreds of men looking for you," He reached for my bandaged band, "but you always came back, habibti, you always, always came back,"

His hold on my hand tightened as he sniffed, looking  away from me.

"I knew you wouldn't have wanted those men's lives on your hands. So I didn't send out more than 200 in total. 2 didn't come back,"

He was right. The weight of those men's absence settled atop my heart and he noticed, shaking my hand, "It's my fault, not yours,"

Silence accompanied us for several minutes after his confession and I enjoyed it. The way the wind swayed into the room from the open window and the warmth fathers hand spread throughout my entire being. It was the most peaceful I'd felt for months. It even took my mind off of mothers damned eyes and I appreciated that.

"It was bad," I let out.

His face snapped to mine, eyes watery, "What was bad? Tell me,"

I gulped, "Out there. It was bad,"

Father's jaw ticked, "Your mother told me to build that tunnel. She said they would never find you in the outskirts,"

"Who's they?"

"This castle," He shook his head, "your mother was part seer. A fascinating woman, she was,"

A traitorous tear left my eyes at his words.

"I saw her," I croaked, "I saw mom,"

His jaw slacked.

"She wasn't alive, though. A witch glamoured herself to look like mother, but father, it was— it was lightest I'd ever felt," A sob left my throat, "she said if I helped her, she would still be alive today,"

"Leila, stop this," He scooted his chair to hold both of my hands in his, "stop these tears. Your mother predicted her death 2 years before she was killed. If she didn't die then she would have died later,"

I couldn't help but feel relieved at what father had said but I also couldn't stop the tears that left my eyes. Mother was a fascinating woman I didn't appreciate enough. She was the woman that would shout at you for hurting yourself but then bandage your injury minutes later. She was the woman that spoke the hard truth with no filter but told you it would be okay after. She was the woman I was too young to admire when I was younger; a woman that was too complexly strong for my brain to adhere.